Photo: Sequim Goalie Kalli Grove had another all-state performance against Enumclaw Tuesday night

By Oly Archibald

ENUMCLAW — The hour at Hornet Stadium in Enumclaw had grown very late. Just one more save was needed for the Wolves girls soccer team to pack their bags for state. In a shootout with the score tied 3-3 after 2 overtimes, all four of the Wolves Taryn Johnson, Jenny Gomez, Olive Bridge and Kaia Lestage had scored their goals. The Wolves star-spangled goalie Kalli Grove had already made a crucial stop and just needed one more. The Hornet sharper shooter lined a shot to the left of Grove and the youngster responded with gusto getting enough of the ball as she dove to her left that the ball hit the post and bounced out on the field and “Wolves Nation” went nuts. It was a wild mele in front of the north goal as the Wolves mobbed their all-everything goalie.

The Wolves stamped their trip to state because of their ” Never give up the ship mentality” in a game that was seemingly lost. The “Dungeness Rocket” Taryn Johnson, considering the importance of the game and who they were playing, might have played the best game of her high school career. The Hornet coaching staff had a defender shadow Johnson from sideline to sideline and goal to goal. However, the strategy did not fare well. At the 14-minute mark, Johnson showed why a NCAA D2 national power will pay for her education. From 35 yards out, Johnson did a shake- and-bake move. Then, like Rose Levell playing in the World Cup at the Parc des Princess Stadium in Paris, Johnson fired a laser that tore up the net for a 1-0 Wolves lead.

For the next 55 minutes Enumclaw dominated the game scoring three goals for a 3-1 lead. The Enumclaw squad is as fast and talented as Sequim’s league nemesis North Kitsap. With 9 minutes left. Johnson, with an assist from Eve Breithaupt, scored to make the score 3-2. Two minutes later Jenny Gomez tied the score at 3 and the momentum had turned 100%.

All the Wolves were heroes. Wolves Junior defensive star Libby Turella, like she did to Enumclaw in last February’s district basketball tournament, tormented and intimidated any Hornet that had the ball.  After Grove made the final save to end the game the Wolves’ players stormed their fan section, where a major hug and tear fest took place. After all there is nothing sweeter than the sweet 16.

The Wolves will now take on #1 seed Fife in a semifinal match up Thursday night at Fife with the kickoff at 6 pm.

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The Port Angeles Roughriders soccer squad took care of business, beating Renton 2-0. At the 18-minute mark, Paige Mason on a corner kick from Teanna Clark scored for a 1-0 led. At the 70th minute mark Izzy Felton scored a header on a corner kick from Teanna Clark to make the final score 2-0. The Roughriders now travel to Highline Thursday night to take on the Pirates with the kickoff at 7 pm.